Why Do Canadians Pay 25% More For Phone Plans Than Americans?

A recent news piece by MobileSyrup reported that Canadians pay 25% more on their phone plans than their American neighbours. This is no surprise to us as we are a Canadian company with wireless plans that are only available in the U.S — not by choice, but by necessity.

The Competition

The main difference between the American wireless market and the Canadian one is the perspective on competition. While our government doesn’t push for competition, the American one thrives on it. In a competitive market like the U.S, every carrier is looking to capture market share. Partnering with “little” guys like us give them the opportunity to grow and do just that. In Canada, however, every carrier is playing defence, and sees other growing competitors as a threat rather than an opportunity. When we find a Canadian carrier that shares our philosophy of greater flexibility and we can partner to bring greater value to customers, we’ll be ecstatic to launch across Canada.

Until Then…How We Can Help

Hope is not lost! While we lack in our abilities to provide wireless coverage in Canada, we stand by our original intentions: A phone number and the ability to use it unlimitedly is a basic human right. So if you can’t afford the $180 monthly plan through one of the Big Three carriers, download the TextNow app on Android or iOS, or even just sign up through your desktop. With free Wi-Fi found in multiple establishments, including city squares, finding a connection isn’t as hard as it was a decade ago. And if it can save you upwards of $100/month, you can spend more time travelling to meet actual family rather than settling for talking to them on the phone. And that logic should not be a surprise to anyone.